PCC Advocates for Stronger Organic Regulations

October 5, 2020

PCC submitted comments on the National Organic Program’s (NOP) Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) proposed rule, aimed at addressing the issue of organic fraud and improving the integrity of the organic supply chain.

The SOE proposed rule would update and modernize the organic regulations to reduce opportunities for fraud and improve oversight and enforcement in the organic supply chain. The rule would implement the most significant changes since the publication of the original federal organic regulations in 2000.

In addition to providing our own comments, PCC also contributed and signed on — as a full member — to the extensive comments submitted by the National Organic Coalition (NOC). Read NOC’s SOE Comments.

Overall, PCC supports the objectives of the SOE to provide better clarity and systems to prevent fraud in the organic supply chain. However, as a certified organic retailer PCC also made several recommendations on how the SOE rule could strengthen organic integrity even more, including reducing the amount of exempted operations, broadening to scope of the “handle” and “handling” definitions to include more entities, shortening the time frame allowed for submission of import certificates, and requiring labeling on more types of storage and transport containers.

Read PCC’s full comments on the SOE rule here.

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Support for USDA Relief Aid to BIPOC Farmers

PCC signed on to a letter from the Rural Coalition/Coalición Rural opposing a court restraining order that prevents the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from providing financial assistance to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers.

Fall 2021 Comments to NOSB

PCC submitted written comments and provided oral testimony for the virtual fall 2021 meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s advisory committee to the National Organic Program (NOP).

PCC Advocates for Stronger Organic Regulations

October 5, 2020

PCC submitted comments on the National Organic Program’s (NOP) Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) proposed rule, aimed at addressing the issue of organic fraud and improving the integrity of the organic supply chain.

The SOE proposed rule would update and modernize the organic regulations to reduce opportunities for fraud and improve oversight and enforcement in the organic supply chain. The rule would implement the most significant changes since the publication of the original federal organic regulations in 2000.

In addition to providing our own comments, PCC also contributed and signed on — as a full member — to the extensive comments submitted by the National Organic Coalition (NOC). Read NOC’s SOE Comments.

Overall, PCC supports the objectives of the SOE to provide better clarity and systems to prevent fraud in the organic supply chain. However, as a certified organic retailers PCC also made several recommendations on how the SOE rule could strengthen organic integrity even more, including reducing the amount of exempted operations, broadening to scope of the “handle” and “handling” definitions to include more entities, shortening the time frame allowed for submission of import certificates, and requiring labeling on more types of storage and transport containers.

Read PCC’s full comments on the SOE rule here.

Related reading

Oppose cuts to value-added and conservation programs

Letter opposing cuts to these programs in the fiscal year 2004 agriculture appropriations

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Letter to support a pending request from the Northwest Cooperative Development Center for a 2005 Rural Cooperative Development Grant